A serving judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Godwin Obla, were yesterday re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The duo were re-arraigned before Justice Hakeem Oshodi of a Lagos High Court sitting at Ikeja consequent upon the amendment to the charge made against them by the EFCC.
The duo were first docked in November 2016 on a 30-counts charge but the new charge has 31 counts.
According to the fresh charge, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia was, among other things, accused of receiving a total of $793,800 in several tranches from different sources between 2012 and 2015 “so as to have a significant increase in your assets that you cannot reasonably explain the increase in relation to your lawful income.”
On Obla’s part, he was accused of offering N5m as gratification to the judge so as to allegedly pervert the course of justice.
The offences were said to be contrary to sections 64(1), 82(a) and 69(1) (a) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State No. 11, 2011.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the fresh charge. Meanwhile, the 12th prosecution witness, Abdullahi Lawal, an investigator, has continued his testimony before the court.
Lawal, who was led in evidence by the prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, pointed out three deposits – N4m, N3m and 5m – made into the account of Nigel and Colive Nigeria Limited, a company allegedly belonging to Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia.
The deposits, he said, were made on July 11, 2014, by a Customs officer, Omali Musa.
